The Iowa Game, Realistic Expectations & Other Dribbles ...

[DT_PITT]

** Inspiration for these evening’s thoughts come from none other than two “distinguished” posters – those being @Sean Miller Fan and @PittPoker.

** I’ll start with the quotes that drive these thoughts --

** At some point yesterday, the incomparable @Sean Miller Fan suggested a redshirt for Jared Wilson-Frame because “I know fans are excited now and I am too but the ACC is impossible.”

** Earlier this evening, my sometimes violate friend @PittPoker offered this: “We will beat Iowa. Trust me.”

** While personally, I consider myself more of a positive kind of fan, I know I’m always restrained by my perception of the reality of situation facing our Panthers.

** At times, my perception of the reality of the situation has allowed me to truly enjoy a season from the very beginning, such as the 2008-2009 Campaign, which was just about as wonderful as we all believed it would be from the start. Much the same can be said of the 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 Campaigns.

** But there have been other seasons which turned out to be so much more remarkable than almost anyone could foresee. For those seasons, I’ve always regretted not being one of few who jumped on the bandwagon at the start.

** During the breakout 2001-2002 season, almost as the Big East season started, Poster Laureate @17-15 made it his mantra that the team would go “22-7 … at least.” Most of the rest of us got on board sometime in February.

** Going into the 2009-2010 season, I proclaimed with an early season injury to Jermaine Dixon, that the NCAA Tournament was out of reach for the Panthers. A tough loss to a bad Indiana team, along with some other suspect early performances seemed to validate this thought.

** There may have been only one poster, the long gone @simmerdunna, who foresaw the nearly unbelievable start of that season which included wins on the road against Cincinnati, then Syracuse, then UConn.

** I always wished I could have been one to have “called” these seasons from the beginning.

** As we entered last season, I suggested to many that we may not win an ACC game. I didn’t want to be right about this. And I don’t know what virtue it offered during the course of the season that the prognostication turned truthful.

** I entered this season suggesting two, or perhaps three, ACC wins.

** Many felt the same way. None of us were trying to be a downer. We were trying to make an honest assessment knowing the Panthers were historically bad last year. For a team who went 0-18 last year, without even making much of a challenge for one win, 2 to 3 wins seemed more than fair.

** Oh yeah … that 0-18 team lost three of their top four scorers.

** So now we are a few weeks into this season, and I’m wondering if it’s time to “realistically” reassess.

** My friend @Bethlehemjohn has been saying from game one that we've been underestimating this team.

** And what if @PittPoker is right? What if we actually do beat Iowa?

** I’m so torn. Part of me is stuck in reality that we just defeated a fair, but perhaps not all that great St. Louis team by a grand total of 2 points. That’s fun, but should it change reasonable expectations?

** I also believe that we still appear to be so woefully undermanned at the post position.

** Then I’m reminded that that the same thing could have likely been said about the Panthers in December of 2009, until it became clear that Gary McGhee was more of a force than anyone thought he would be.

** Allow me to suggest that the prognostication of “22-7 at least” only became a reality with the clarity of Brandin Knight as an All-American.

** The 3-seed of the 2009-2010 campaign was made possible when we realized for certain the extraordinary improvement of the combination of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wannamaker. And it wasn’t until games at Storrs and in the Dome, followed by an improbable win at the Pete against L-ville that we knew that improvement was for real.

** Allow me step back for a moment to make clear that I’m not suggesting for a moment that I think that this team is headed for an NCAA tournament three-seed like the two aforementioned teams.

** But I hope others will join me in reveling in the excitement of possibility of much more, than many (including me) could have previously thought possible one month ago.

** What if Xavier Johnson is truly as good as we think he might be?

** What if Trey and Malik and Toney and JWF are formidable on the perimeter?

** Especially Trey. This guy could be really good in time, but he’s struggling a bit as one might expect from a freshman. What if he starts putting it together with consistency in January?

** What if Kene and Terrel are just good enough in the post?

** At least at this point, none of these three “what if’s” seem impossible.

** Could all of this really mean something like 11-2 in the OCC season, and 6-12 in the ACC, leading to an almost certain NIT season?

** Or what if we really do beat Iowa as Pitt Poker asked that we trust? What does that mean? Could this really mean a reinstatement of @UPitt89 ‘s bubble watch?

** I have to confess that I feel pretty confident that with Coach Capel’s dribble drive penetration and get-to-the-foul-line offense, getting blown out at Iowa is not something I expect. I think we can at least play somewhere in Iowa’s neighborhood. Maybe more than that.

** Perhaps I’ve gotten too far ahead of myself. Maybe Sean Miller Fan is right. Maybe we get blown out next Tuesday in Iowa City and our realistic ACC future for this campaign is closer to most earlier expectations.

** I guess it’s up to every fan to make their own choice where they stand between Pitt Poker and Sean Miller Fan.

** As for this fan, I’m just thrilled the debate exists.

 

[Drew1208]

** Inspiration for these evening’s thoughts come from none other than two “distinguished” posters – those being @Sean Miller Fan and @PittPoker.

** I’ll start with the quotes that drive these thoughts --

** At some point yesterday, the incomparable @Sean Miller Fan suggested a redshirt for Jared Wilson-Frame because “I know fans are excited now and I am too but the ACC is impossible.”

** Earlier this evening, my sometimes violate friend @PittPoker offered this: “We will beat Iowa. Trust me.”

** While personally, I consider myself more of a positive kind of fan, I know I’m always restrained by my perception of the reality of situation facing our Panthers.

** At times, my perception of the reality of the situation has allowed me to truly enjoy a season from the very beginning, such as the 2008-2009 Campaign, which was just about as wonderful as we all believed it would be from the start. Much the same can be said of the 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 Campaigns.

** But there have been other seasons which turned out to be so much more remarkable than almost anyone could foresee. For those seasons, I’ve always regretted not being one of few who jumped on the bandwagon at the start.

** During the breakout 2001-2002 season, almost as the Big East season started, Poster Laureate @17-15 made it his mantra that the team would go “22-7 … at least.” Most of the rest of us got on board sometime in February.

** Going into the 2009-2010 season, I proclaimed with an early season injury to Jermaine Dixon, that the NCAA Tournament was out of reach for the Panthers. A tough loss to a bad Indiana team, along with some other suspect early performances seemed to validate this thought.

** There may have been only one poster, the long gone @simmerdunna, who foresaw the nearly unbelievable start of that season which included wins on the road against Cincinnati, then Syracuse, then UConn.

** I always wished I could have been one to have “called” these seasons from the beginning.

** As we entered last season, I suggested to many that we may not win an ACC game. I didn’t want to be right about this. And I don’t know what virtue it offered during the course of the season that the prognostication turned truthful.

** I entered this season suggesting two, or perhaps three, ACC wins.

** Many felt the same way. None of us were trying to be a downer. We were trying to make an honest assessment knowing the Panthers were historically bad last year. For a team who went 0-18 last year, without even making much of a challenge for one win, 2 to 3 wins seemed more than fair.

** Oh yeah … that 0-18 team lost three of their top four scorers.

** So now we are a few weeks into this season, and I’m wondering if it’s time to “realistically” reassess.

** My friend @Bethlehemjohn has been saying from game one that we've been underestimating this team.

** And what if @PittPoker is right? What if we actually do beat Iowa?

** I’m so torn. Part of me is stuck in reality that we just defeated a fair, but perhaps not all that great St. Louis team by a grand total of 2 points. That’s fun, but should it change reasonable expectations?

** I also believe that we still appear to be so woefully undermanned at the post position.

** Then I’m reminded that that the same thing could have likely been said about the Panthers in December of 2009, until it became clear that Gary McGhee was more of a force than anyone thought he would be.

** Allow me to suggest that the prognostication of “22-7 at least” only became a reality with the clarity of Brandin Knight as an All-American.

** The 3-seed of the 2009-2010 campaign was made possible when we realized for certain the extraordinary improvement of the combination of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wannamaker. And it wasn’t until games at Storrs and in the Dome, followed by an improbable win at the Pete against L-ville that we knew that improvement was for real.

** Allow me step back for a moment to make clear that I’m not suggesting for a moment that I think that this team is headed for an NCAA tournament three-seed that both the teams I've mentioned did achieve.

** But I hope others will join me in reveling in the excitement of possibility of so much more, than many (including me) could have previously thought possible one month ago.

** What if Xavier Johnson is truly as good as we think he might be?

** What if Trey and Malik and Toney and JWF are formidable on the perimeter?

** Especially Trey. This guy could be really good in time, but he’s struggling a bit as one might expect from a freshman. What if he starts putting it together with consistency in January?

** What if Kene and Terrel are just good enough in the post?

** At least at this point, none of these three “what if’s” seem impossible.

** Could all of this really mean something like 11-2 in the OCC season, and 6-12 in the ACC, leading to an almost certain NIT season?

** Or what if we really do beat Iowa at Pitt Poker asked that we trusted? What does that mean? Could this really mean a reinstatement of @UPitt89 ‘s bubble watch?

** I have to confess that I feel pretty confident that with Coach Capel’s dribble drive penetration and get-to-the-foul-line offense, getting blown out at Iowa is not something I expect. I think we can at least play somewhere in Iowa’s neighborhood. Maybe more than that.

** Perhaps I’ve gotten too far ahead of myself. Maybe Sean Miller Fan is right. Maybe we get blown out next Tuesday in Iowa City and our realistic ACC future for this campaign is closer to most earlier expectations.

** I guess it’s up to every fan to make their own choice where they stand between Pitt Poker and Sean Miller Fan.

** As for this fan, I’m just thrilled the debate exists.

I see this as a great game for Pitt no matter what. If they win fantastic. If they lose. They will learn a lot.
Iowa is going to be packed with fans. These young players need this experience. I just hope X man can stay out of foul trouble early and JWF can hit his 3's.

 

[DT_PITT]

I see this as a great game for Pitt no matter what. If they win fantastic. If they lose. They will learn a lot.
Iowa is going to be packed with fans. These young players need this experience. I just hope X man can stay out of foul trouble early and JWF can hit his 3's.

Perhaps I'm totally getting lost in the hype, but I'm really staring to feel we can pull the upset.

Maybe I've lost all objectivity, but it sure makes watching the game more exciting for me personally.

Sure beats watching the PSU game last year totally expecting a loss, and then getting blown out worse than I thought we would.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

** Inspiration for these evening’s thoughts come from none other than two “distinguished” posters – those being @Sean Miller Fan and @PittPoker.

** I’ll start with the quotes that drive these thoughts --

** At some point yesterday, the incomparable @Sean Miller Fan suggested a redshirt for Jared Wilson-Frame because “I know fans are excited now and I am too but the ACC is impossible.”

** Earlier this evening, my sometimes violate friend @PittPoker offered this: “We will beat Iowa. Trust me.”

** While personally, I consider myself more of a positive kind of fan, I know I’m always restrained by my perception of the reality of situation facing our Panthers.

** At times, my perception of the reality of the situation has allowed me to truly enjoy a season from the very beginning, such as the 2008-2009 Campaign, which was just about as wonderful as we all believed it would be from the start. Much the same can be said of the 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 Campaigns.

** But there have been other seasons which turned out to be so much more remarkable than almost anyone could foresee. For those seasons, I’ve always regretted not being one of few who jumped on the bandwagon at the start.

** During the breakout 2001-2002 season, almost as the Big East season started, Poster Laureate @17-15 made it his mantra that the team would go “22-7 … at least.” Most of the rest of us got on board sometime in February.

** Going into the 2009-2010 season, I proclaimed with an early season injury to Jermaine Dixon, that the NCAA Tournament was out of reach for the Panthers. A tough loss to a bad Indiana team, along with some other suspect early performances seemed to validate this thought.

** There may have been only one poster, the long gone @simmerdunna, who foresaw the nearly unbelievable start of that season which included wins on the road against Cincinnati, then Syracuse, then UConn.

** I always wished I could have been one to have “called” these seasons from the beginning.

** As we entered last season, I suggested to many that we may not win an ACC game. I didn’t want to be right about this. And I don’t know what virtue it offered during the course of the season that the prognostication turned truthful.

** I entered this season suggesting two, or perhaps three, ACC wins.

** Many felt the same way. None of us were trying to be a downer. We were trying to make an honest assessment knowing the Panthers were historically bad last year. For a team who went 0-18 last year, without even making much of a challenge for one win, 2 to 3 wins seemed more than fair.

** Oh yeah … that 0-18 team lost three of their top four scorers.

** So now we are a few weeks into this season, and I’m wondering if it’s time to “realistically” reassess.

** My friend @Bethlehemjohn has been saying from game one that we've been underestimating this team.

** And what if @PittPoker is right? What if we actually do beat Iowa?

** I’m so torn. Part of me is stuck in reality that we just defeated a fair, but perhaps not all that great St. Louis team by a grand total of 2 points. That’s fun, but should it change reasonable expectations?

** I also believe that we still appear to be so woefully undermanned at the post position.

** Then I’m reminded that that the same thing could have likely been said about the Panthers in December of 2009, until it became clear that Gary McGhee was more of a force than anyone thought he would be.

** Allow me to suggest that the prognostication of “22-7 at least” only became a reality with the clarity of Brandin Knight as an All-American.

** The 3-seed of the 2009-2010 campaign was made possible when we realized for certain the extraordinary improvement of the combination of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wannamaker. And it wasn’t until games at Storrs and in the Dome, followed by an improbable win at the Pete against L-ville that we knew that improvement was for real.

** Allow me step back for a moment to make clear that I’m not suggesting for a moment that I think that this team is headed for an NCAA tournament three-seed that both the teams I've mentioned did achieve.

** But I hope others will join me in reveling in the excitement of possibility of so much more, than many (including me) could have previously thought possible one month ago.

** What if Xavier Johnson is truly as good as we think he might be?

** What if Trey and Malik and Toney and JWF are formidable on the perimeter?

** Especially Trey. This guy could be really good in time, but he’s struggling a bit as one might expect from a freshman. What if he starts putting it together with consistency in January?

** What if Kene and Terrel are just good enough in the post?

** At least at this point, none of these three “what if’s” seem impossible.

** Could all of this really mean something like 11-2 in the OCC season, and 6-12 in the ACC, leading to an almost certain NIT season?

** Or what if we really do beat Iowa at Pitt Poker asked that we trusted? What does that mean? Could this really mean a reinstatement of @UPitt89 ‘s bubble watch?

** I have to confess that I feel pretty confident that with Coach Capel’s dribble drive penetration and get-to-the-foul-line offense, getting blown out at Iowa is not something I expect. I think we can at least play somewhere in Iowa’s neighborhood. Maybe more than that.

** Perhaps I’ve gotten too far ahead of myself. Maybe Sean Miller Fan is right. Maybe we get blown out next Tuesday in Iowa City and our realistic ACC future for this campaign is closer to most earlier expectations.

** I guess it’s up to every fan to make their own choice where they stand between Pitt Poker and Sean Miller Fan.

** As for this fan, I’m just thrilled the debate exists.

I like this team. This is a team that can challenge for an NCAAT bid if if were in the A10. I don't mean to downplay this team but we are in the ACC. We basically have 10 unwinnable games. So of the other 8, how many can we win? I say 3. And I'm ok with that. If we were in an easier league, I'd say maybe we can dom something. At this point, I will say, I can see this team getting to 6. I'll stick with 3 but wouldn't be totally shocked with 6 and the NIT.

As for Iowa. I watched them vs Oregon. Funny thing about this game is that we are a bad matchup for them and vice versa. Now, they do have NBAer Tyler Cook, so there's that but outside of him, they really aren't all that talented. They are big and slow and play smart "together" basketball. They won't jump out at you in layup lines. Heck, they play this walk-on a lot who they said woulda been a mid-major but he always dreamed of playing for his in-state Hawkeyes.

Here's the thing, we will have no trouble getting into the lane against this slow-footed team but what can we do when we get there. Have to make good decisions, not get dominated on the glass and have JWF hit some 3s.

Iowa is "Big Ten Good" but this is a team that would go 6-12 in the ACC. Inotherwords, we have a chance

 

[DT_PITT]

I like this team. This is a team that can challenge for an NCAAT bid if if were in the A10. I don't mean to downplay this team but we are in the ACC. We basically have 10 unwinnable games. So of the other 8, how many can we win? I say 3. And I'm ok with that. If we were in an easier league, I'd say maybe we can dom something. At this point, I will say, I can see this team getting to 6. I'll stick with 3 but wouldn't be totally shocked with 6 and the NIT.

As for Iowa. I watched them vs Oregon. Funny thing about this game is that we are a bad matchup for them and vice versa. Now, they do have NBAer Tyler Cook, so there's that but outside of him, they really aren't all that talented. They are big and slow and play smart "together" basketball. They won't jump out at you in layup lines. Heck, they play this walk-on a lot who they said woulda been a mid-major but he always dreamed of playing for his in-state Hawkeyes.

Here's the thing, we will have no trouble getting into the lane against this slow-footed team but what can we do when we get there. Have to make good decisions, not get dominated on the glass and have JWF hit some 3s.

Iowa is "Big Ten Good" but this is a team that would go 6-12 in the ACC. Inotherwords, we have a chance

Please understand that I meant no disrespect in any way to you or your views by including you as I did in this post.

Otherwise, I concur with your replies.

 

[Drew1208]

Perhaps I'm totally getting lost in the hype, but I'm really staring to feel we can pull the upset.

Maybe I've lost all objectivity, but it sure makes watching the game more exciting for me personally.

Sure beats watching the PSU game last year totally expecting a loss, and then getting blown out worse than I thought we would.

An upset is definitely possible. Using technique, finding a man, boxing out, keep it close, hit foul shots, limit turnovers, fast transition.
Staying poised is key. Because this Iowa team is experienced and poised.
And I think that Cook guy, thinks he's an NBA player, but to me he isn't close to ready for that.

 

[PittPoker]

** Inspiration for these evening’s thoughts come from none other than two “distinguished” posters – those being @Sean Miller Fan and @PittPoker.

** I’ll start with the quotes that drive these thoughts --

** At some point yesterday, the incomparable @Sean Miller Fan suggested a redshirt for Jared Wilson-Frame because “I know fans are excited now and I am too but the ACC is impossible.”

** Earlier this evening, my sometimes violate friend @PittPoker offered this: “We will beat Iowa. Trust me.”

** While personally, I consider myself more of a positive kind of fan, I know I’m always restrained by my perception of the reality of situation facing our Panthers.

** At times, my perception of the reality of the situation has allowed me to truly enjoy a season from the very beginning, such as the 2008-2009 Campaign, which was just about as wonderful as we all believed it would be from the start. Much the same can be said of the 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 Campaigns.

** But there have been other seasons which turned out to be so much more remarkable than almost anyone could foresee. For those seasons, I’ve always regretted not being one of few who jumped on the bandwagon at the start.

** During the breakout 2001-2002 season, almost as the Big East season started, Poster Laureate @17-15 made it his mantra that the team would go “22-7 … at least.” Most of the rest of us got on board sometime in February.

** Going into the 2009-2010 season, I proclaimed with an early season injury to Jermaine Dixon, that the NCAA Tournament was out of reach for the Panthers. A tough loss to a bad Indiana team, along with some other suspect early performances seemed to validate this thought.

** There may have been only one poster, the long gone @simmerdunna, who foresaw the nearly unbelievable start of that season which included wins on the road against Cincinnati, then Syracuse, then UConn.

** I always wished I could have been one to have “called” these seasons from the beginning.

** As we entered last season, I suggested to many that we may not win an ACC game. I didn’t want to be right about this. And I don’t know what virtue it offered during the course of the season that the prognostication turned truthful.

** I entered this season suggesting two, or perhaps three, ACC wins.

** Many felt the same way. None of us were trying to be a downer. We were trying to make an honest assessment knowing the Panthers were historically bad last year. For a team who went 0-18 last year, without even making much of a challenge for one win, 2 to 3 wins seemed more than fair.

** Oh yeah … that 0-18 team lost three of their top four scorers.

** So now we are a few weeks into this season, and I’m wondering if it’s time to “realistically” reassess.

** My friend @Bethlehemjohn has been saying from game one that we've been underestimating this team.

** And what if @PittPoker is right? What if we actually do beat Iowa?

** I’m so torn. Part of me is stuck in reality that we just defeated a fair, but perhaps not all that great St. Louis team by a grand total of 2 points. That’s fun, but should it change reasonable expectations?

** I also believe that we still appear to be so woefully undermanned at the post position.

** Then I’m reminded that that the same thing could have likely been said about the Panthers in December of 2009, until it became clear that Gary McGhee was more of a force than anyone thought he would be.

** Allow me to suggest that the prognostication of “22-7 at least” only became a reality with the clarity of Brandin Knight as an All-American.

** The 3-seed of the 2009-2010 campaign was made possible when we realized for certain the extraordinary improvement of the combination of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wannamaker. And it wasn’t until games at Storrs and in the Dome, followed by an improbable win at the Pete against L-ville that we knew that improvement was for real.

** Allow me step back for a moment to make clear that I’m not suggesting for a moment that I think that this team is headed for an NCAA tournament three-seed that both the teams I've mentioned did achieve.

** But I hope others will join me in reveling in the excitement of possibility of so much more, than many (including me) could have previously thought possible one month ago.

** What if Xavier Johnson is truly as good as we think he might be?

** What if Trey and Malik and Toney and JWF are formidable on the perimeter?

** Especially Trey. This guy could be really good in time, but he’s struggling a bit as one might expect from a freshman. What if he starts putting it together with consistency in January?

** What if Kene and Terrel are just good enough in the post?

** At least at this point, none of these three “what if’s” seem impossible.

** Could all of this really mean something like 11-2 in the OCC season, and 6-12 in the ACC, leading to an almost certain NIT season?

** Or what if we really do beat Iowa at Pitt Poker asked that we trusted? What does that mean? Could this really mean a reinstatement of @UPitt89 ‘s bubble watch?

** I have to confess that I feel pretty confident that with Coach Capel’s dribble drive penetration and get-to-the-foul-line offense, getting blown out at Iowa is not something I expect. I think we can at least play somewhere in Iowa’s neighborhood. Maybe more than that.

** Perhaps I’ve gotten too far ahead of myself. Maybe Sean Miller Fan is right. Maybe we get blown out next Tuesday in Iowa City and our realistic ACC future for this campaign is closer to most earlier expectations.

** I guess it’s up to every fan to make their own choice where they stand between Pitt Poker and Sean Miller Fan.

** As for this fan, I’m just thrilled the debate exists.

DT I've been a regular(mostly glass half empty) kind of poster. But things have changed. I am making a concerted effort to believe and notice improvement, however small it might be. But this Pitt basketball team under Capel seems different to me. Seems special not because I think they can make a final four this year and compete to win it all. No they are special to me because I see what good coaching can do and thus far it is night and day compared to any point in the 2 Stallings years.

I see a team that doesn't quit, that believes in itself and plays hard. I see a team that has a potential superstar in the making in Xavier Johnson and some talented freshmen and role players. I see a Coach who gets the most out of his players and a will to win.

Bottom line, sure we might lose to Iowa. But I am supremely confident that we put up a damn good fight. And the new me, the glass half full poster in me thinks that Pitt will pull off the upset. I feel it.

I made DT's dribbles. Everything else is gravy at this point.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Last year at this time, we were having threads like this:

https://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/threads/navy-montana-imo-today-we-could-beat-them-both.122303/

A lot has changed in a year

 

[levance2]

I think, in some ways, our previous success (as cited by DT) is an unfortunate confidence-builder to too many fans. It is actually extremely difficult to become as good as most of those Dixon teams did. There are plenty of teams in the ACC and back in the Big East who never got anywhere close to even what that 2010 team accomplished.

This is why I keep cautioning people. We assume the gap between "bad" and "good" has just a little layover in "above average" but it's just not that simple. I think it is a disservice to these players for fans to believe that the significant talent discrepancy that they'll face in the ACC is simply able to be overcome with grit and heart. That somehow implies that losing to Syracuse or Virginia Tech this year will happen because we didn't try hard enough.

I will be cheering them toward victory every game this year, but I do that as an irrational, optimistic fan, not because anything they've accomplished so far in-game has indicated they're anything beyond maybe 14th place in the ACC.

 

[Gep Dawg]

I’ve said numerous times this team will be an ncaa bubble team with 6-8 ACC wins. They bottom of the ACC is just not that good this year and this team is way more talented and different than last years team. Talent can seriously shorten the learning curve with the right nurturing from its coaching staff. And I think we all realize we have a top flight coaching staff.

Hey if they don’t I won’t be disappointed. But look at Wake a couple years ago. So it is possible.

 

[levance2]

Last year at this time, we were having threads like this:

https://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/threads/navy-montana-imo-today-we-could-beat-them-both.122303/

A lot has changed in a year

Wow, what a thread. I can't believe how much of our fanbase succumbed to Stockholm Syndrome.

 

[H2P 2003]

I think, in some ways, our previous success (as cited by DT) is an unfortunate confidence-builder to too many fans. It is actually extremely difficult to become as good as most of those Dixon teams did. There are plenty of teams in the ACC and back in the Big East who never got anywhere close to even what that 2010 team accomplished.

This is why I keep cautioning people. We assume the gap between "bad" and "good" has just a little layover in "above average" but it's just not that simple. I think it is a disservice to these players for fans to believe that the significant talent discrepancy that they'll face in the ACC is simply able to be overcome with grit and heart. That somehow implies that losing to Syracuse or Virginia Tech this year will happen because we didn't try hard enough.

I will be cheering them toward victory every game this year, but I do that as an irrational, optimistic fan, not because anything they've accomplished so far in-game has indicated they're anything beyond maybe 14th place in the ACC.

Honestly, Dixon/Howland made consistent winning look so easy that it is going to skew all expectations going forward. It is why people actually thought things couldn’t get any worse than dixon’s last 5 years here.

I’m not being negative, I’m just saying people need to pump the breaks. I would be thrilled with 4-14 in the ACC still, and something like a .500 overall record. I just have seen this fanbase too many times set up extremely unreasonable expectations then just totally trash coaches that don’t meet those expectations.

In the long run, if Capel gets us back to where we were the last 5 years under Dixon I’d be thrilled. Anything else is gravy.

 

[IamHeisenberg]

I think we can win and will win against Iowa. This team is special and I feel so many folks are colored by the past. HCJC has a message that is reaching these kids. You can hear it how he speaks in the post game shows. What he says makes sense. He is positive and critical in measured tones.

And if we lose to Iowa, so what? It says nothing about a season in which this team will be significantly better in March than in November.

NIT? I think we will be seriously vying for an NCAA bid in late February.

I speculate why some fans feel the way they do but to move forward the past must be dropped. It looks like all of these kids who have played under past regimes have turned that corner.

Woe unto thee all yee doubters for thine shall not bask in the glory of the kingdom of Jeff come March!!!!

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

Sure beats watching the PSU game last year totally expecting a loss, and then getting blown out worse than I thought we would.

What was really depressing about that Penn State game was that we fell behind by 40 points and as I watched I don't think my blood pressure fluctuated once. A year ago I expected and quickly accepted crushing, humiliating defeats from bad programs.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

I've said that this season is a year to improve and gain experience and we need to have patience and despite their early season success I still think that's the right approach . While these freshman want to make one get overly optimistic I think that until the competition stiffens we don't know how they'll compete against ACC level guys . The Iowa game will give us an insight . Bring on the Hawkeyes !

Pitts weaknesses aren't a secret , when they face a team with equal quickness with a solid frontcourt whose going to score and whose going to stop the opponents big ?

Relying on only one real threat from the outside in JWF will be a problem when he struggles . For Pitt to exceed my expectations someone else needs to show they can carry the load from the outside from time to time .

Duke looked unbeatable against Ky , but coming down the stretch against Gonzaga they continually tried to get to the hoop just to get their shots blocked . No one tried to hit a midrange jumper , that's what I'm afraid will happen to Pitt in ACC play .

Next yr will be better and in two more seasons Pitt will be a threat in the ACC . JC can recruit , but he's not selling Coach K and Duke ! It will always be a struggle against Duke and UNC , but he's going to bring in some really fine players to Pitt ! A lot to look forward too !

This team wishes they had Gary McGhee .

Finally I'm not concerned how long X will stay at Pitt the guy I want to stay at Pitt for a long time is..... JC .

 

[HOF Coach]

DT I've been a regular(mostly glass half empty) kind of poster. But things have changed. I am making a concerted effort to believe and notice improvement, however small it might be. But this Pitt basketball team under Capel seems different to me. Seems special not because I think they can make a final four this year and compete to win it all. No they are special to me because I see what good coaching can do and thus far it is night and day compared to any point in the 2 Stallings years.

I see a team that doesn't quit, that believes in itself and plays hard. I see a team that has a potential superstar in the making in Xavier Johnson and some talented freshmen and role players. I see a Coach who gets the most out of his players and a will to win.

Bottom line, sure we might lose to Iowa. But I am supremely confident that we put up a damn good fight. And the new me, the glass half full poster in me thinks that Pitt will pull off the upset. I feel it.

I made DT's dribbles. Everything else is gravy at this point.

 

[rockypanther]

I've said that this season is a year to improve and gain experience and we need to have patience and despite their early season success I still think that's the right approach . While these freshman want to make one get overly optimistic I think that until the competition stiffens we don't know how they'll compete against ACC level guys . The Iowa game will give us an insight . Bring on the Hawkeyes !

Pitts weaknesses aren't a secret , when they face a team with equal quickness with a solid frontcourt whose going to score and whose going to stop the opponents big ?

Relying on only one real threat from the outside in JWF will be a problem when he struggles . For Pitt to exceed my expectations someone else needs to show they can carry the load from the outside from time to time .

Duke looked unbeatable against Ky , but coming down the stretch against Gonzaga they continually tried to get to the hoop just to get their shots blocked . No one tried to hit a midrange jumper , that's what I'm afraid will happen to Pitt in ACC play .

Next yr will be better and in two more seasons Pitt will be a threat in the ACC . JC can recruit , but he's not selling Coach K and Duke ! It will always be a struggle against Duke and UNC , but he's going to bring in some really fine players to Pitt ! A lot to look forward too !

This team wishes they had Gary McGhee .

Finally I'm not concerned how long X will stay at Pitt the guy I want to stay at Pitt for a long time is..... JC .

Gonzaga showed me two things against Duke. They had enough talent, were very aggressive playing defense on dribble drives, fought for rebounds and loose balls, and had experience. These are all things that for the most part we can have and develop. But it's going to take a few years. This was the formula Dixon had when he was successful. I think Capel will bring that back.

 

[rockypanther]

** Inspiration for these evening’s thoughts come from none other than two “distinguished” posters – those being @Sean Miller Fan and @PittPoker.

** I’ll start with the quotes that drive these thoughts --

** At some point yesterday, the incomparable @Sean Miller Fan suggested a redshirt for Jared Wilson-Frame because “I know fans are excited now and I am too but the ACC is impossible.”

** Earlier this evening, my sometimes violate friend @PittPoker offered this: “We will beat Iowa. Trust me.”

** While personally, I consider myself more of a positive kind of fan, I know I’m always restrained by my perception of the reality of situation facing our Panthers.

** At times, my perception of the reality of the situation has allowed me to truly enjoy a season from the very beginning, such as the 2008-2009 Campaign, which was just about as wonderful as we all believed it would be from the start. Much the same can be said of the 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 Campaigns.

** But there have been other seasons which turned out to be so much more remarkable than almost anyone could foresee. For those seasons, I’ve always regretted not being one of few who jumped on the bandwagon at the start.

** During the breakout 2001-2002 season, almost as the Big East season started, Poster Laureate @17-15 made it his mantra that the team would go “22-7 … at least.” Most of the rest of us got on board sometime in February.

** Going into the 2009-2010 season, I proclaimed with an early season injury to Jermaine Dixon, that the NCAA Tournament was out of reach for the Panthers. A tough loss to a bad Indiana team, along with some other suspect early performances seemed to validate this thought.

** There may have been only one poster, the long gone @simmerdunna, who foresaw the nearly unbelievable start of that season which included wins on the road against Cincinnati, then Syracuse, then UConn.

** I always wished I could have been one to have “called” these seasons from the beginning.

** As we entered last season, I suggested to many that we may not win an ACC game. I didn’t want to be right about this. And I don’t know what virtue it offered during the course of the season that the prognostication turned truthful.

** I entered this season suggesting two, or perhaps three, ACC wins.

** Many felt the same way. None of us were trying to be a downer. We were trying to make an honest assessment knowing the Panthers were historically bad last year. For a team who went 0-18 last year, without even making much of a challenge for one win, 2 to 3 wins seemed more than fair.

** Oh yeah … that 0-18 team lost three of their top four scorers.

** So now we are a few weeks into this season, and I’m wondering if it’s time to “realistically” reassess.

** My friend @Bethlehemjohn has been saying from game one that we've been underestimating this team.

** And what if @PittPoker is right? What if we actually do beat Iowa?

** I’m so torn. Part of me is stuck in reality that we just defeated a fair, but perhaps not all that great St. Louis team by a grand total of 2 points. That’s fun, but should it change reasonable expectations?

** I also believe that we still appear to be so woefully undermanned at the post position.

** Then I’m reminded that that the same thing could have likely been said about the Panthers in December of 2009, until it became clear that Gary McGhee was more of a force than anyone thought he would be.

** Allow me to suggest that the prognostication of “22-7 at least” only became a reality with the clarity of Brandin Knight as an All-American.

** The 3-seed of the 2009-2010 campaign was made possible when we realized for certain the extraordinary improvement of the combination of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wannamaker. And it wasn’t until games at Storrs and in the Dome, followed by an improbable win at the Pete against L-ville that we knew that improvement was for real.

** Allow me step back for a moment to make clear that I’m not suggesting for a moment that I think that this team is headed for an NCAA tournament three-seed that both the teams I've mentioned did achieve.

** But I hope others will join me in reveling in the excitement of possibility of so much more, than many (including me) could have previously thought possible one month ago.

** What if Xavier Johnson is truly as good as we think he might be?

** What if Trey and Malik and Toney and JWF are formidable on the perimeter?

** Especially Trey. This guy could be really good in time, but he’s struggling a bit as one might expect from a freshman. What if he starts putting it together with consistency in January?

** What if Kene and Terrel are just good enough in the post?

** At least at this point, none of these three “what if’s” seem impossible.

** Could all of this really mean something like 11-2 in the OCC season, and 6-12 in the ACC, leading to an almost certain NIT season?

** Or what if we really do beat Iowa at Pitt Poker asked that we trusted? What does that mean? Could this really mean a reinstatement of @UPitt89 ‘s bubble watch?

** I have to confess that I feel pretty confident that with Coach Capel’s dribble drive penetration and get-to-the-foul-line offense, getting blown out at Iowa is not something I expect. I think we can at least play somewhere in Iowa’s neighborhood. Maybe more than that.

** Perhaps I’ve gotten too far ahead of myself. Maybe Sean Miller Fan is right. Maybe we get blown out next Tuesday in Iowa City and our realistic ACC future for this campaign is closer to most earlier expectations.

** I guess it’s up to every fan to make their own choice where they stand between Pitt Poker and Sean Miller Fan.

** As for this fan, I’m just thrilled the debate exists.

Thanks DT. Now PittPoker will more confident and crazier

 

[DT_PITT]

I think, in some ways, our previous success (as cited by DT) is an unfortunate confidence-builder to too many fans. It is actually extremely difficult to become as good as most of those Dixon teams did. There are plenty of teams in the ACC and back in the Big East who never got anywhere close to even what that 2010 team accomplished.

This is why I keep cautioning people. We assume the gap between "bad" and "good" has just a little layover in "above average" but it's just not that simple. I think it is a disservice to these players for fans to believe that the significant talent discrepancy that they'll face in the ACC is simply able to be overcome with grit and heart. That somehow implies that losing to Syracuse or Virginia Tech this year will happen because we didn't try hard enough.

I will be cheering them toward victory every game this year, but I do that as an irrational, optimistic fan, not because anything they've accomplished so far in-game has indicated they're anything beyond maybe 14th place in the ACC.

This is a completely legit response and one that I hoped my original post would prompt, along positive responses.

I was probably in the exact same place as you even just a few days ago. Maybe I still am actually, but I’m at least “inviting myself” to think there could be a little more, or even more than that.

 

[PittME75]

Unlike last year, I think this team will be very fun to watch for all the reasons mentioned. Win or lose. Will they exceed expectations? Well expectations were not very high to start with so why not? But starting with low expectations will be key to the enjoyment of the season. At least this year there appears to be a chance that they will win some surprises and certainly will be in more games than last year. The chance to witness those surprises is what will motivate my tempered enthusiasm. More importantly, I think watching a successful rebuild in progress is always very rewarding and the start of that is what we will be seeing. So I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the year plays out keeping my expectations in check.

 

[HOF Coach]

Thanks DT. Now PittPoker will more confident and crazier

I believe in the "new" PittPoker...

om

 

[HOF Coach]

Simply put, I want to see a team this year that shows up every game, plays the right way and fights to the end.

If the other team is more talented/more experienced, then they should beat Pitt. But I want them thinking after the game that "Pitt gave us everything that they have and never quit. They are going to be a force to be reckoned with under Coach Capel."

To the 2018-2019 Panthers...Work hard every day in practice, learn from your mistakes, stay positive and compete to the final buzzer. Good things are sure to follow...H2P!

 

[Chescat]

Last year at this time, we were having threads like this:

https://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/threads/navy-montana-imo-today-we-could-beat-them-both.122303/

A lot has changed in a year

Hmmmm....I feel pretty good after reading the posts in your link...LOL
Thanks for including it here.

 

[Ski11585]

For me it isn’t so much if they can compete and win this year. It’s that they’re competitive enough for me to believe and for me to care. They’re competitive enough that I see what Capel is building. And he and the team have convinced me that even if Pitt loses almost every game in the ACc, there’s a reason for me to care.

I didn’t feel that under KS.

 

[88Pitt88]

Simply put, I want to see a team this year that shows up every game, plays the right way and fights to the end.

If the other team is more talented/more experienced, then they should beat Pitt. But I want them thinking after the game that "Pitt gave us everything that they have and never quit. They are going to be a force to be reckoned with under Coach Capel."

To the 2018-2019 Panthers...Work hard every day in practice, learn from your mistakes, stay positive and compete to the final buzzer. Good things are sure to follow...H2P!

Couldn't have said it better myself. We are far more talented and much better coached than last year. I don't know how many more wins it brings us, but it is going to be fun to be at the Pete again. Love the optimism, it is deserved. Our Panthers have given us every reason to believe in them. By the way, good news from Tyrese Samuel this weekend, would continue to stoke that optimism for the future!

 

[HailToPitt1985]

For me it isn’t so much if they can compete and win this year. It’s that they’re competitive enough for me to believe and for me to care. They’re competitive enough that I see what Capel is building. And he and the team have convinced me that even if Pitt loses almost every game in the ACc, there’s a reason for me to care.

I didn’t feel that under KS.

KS didn't care, so how could us fans care?

This team and coach are different. A lot different. They'll be competitive in most or all of their games and will win some games this year. For this team to get to 0.500 overall this year will be a major accomplishment and something to build on next year. I'm sure the recruits see this and they will be coming along as the days and months pass.

No matter what they do and how many games they win, I'll be rooting them on every game. That's a hell of a lot better than what I could say the last 2 years. I care about what this Pitt team does.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

KS didn't care, so how could us fans care?

This team and coach are different. A lot different. They'll be competitive in most or all of their games and will win some games this year. For this team to get to 0.500 overall this year will be a major accomplishment and something to build on next year. I'm sure the recruits see this and they will be coming along as the days and months pass.

No matter what they do and how many games they win, I'll be rooting them on every game. That's a hell of a lot better than what I could say the last 2 years. I care about what this Pitt team does.

He literally didn't care. He didn't. From the moment he took that lifeline that Scott Barnes gave him from saving him from being ousted at Vandy to that opening press conference, Stallings realized this was a bad marriage. When Barnes (his only ally) left, it was all Stallings could do to get out. It was so egregious and obvious that the parting was almost mutual. And you can read what you want into this.

 

[DT_PITT]

He literally didn't care. He didn't. From the moment he took that lifeline that Scott Barnes gave him from saving him from being ousted at Vandy to that opening press conference, Stallings realized this was a bad marriage. When Barnes (his only ally) left, it was all Stallings could do to get out. It was so egregious and obvious that the parting was almost mutual. And you can read what you want into this.

I hate to be oppositional here, but from a recent conversation I had with someone very close to the team, saying that Stallings didn’t care is far what was actually happening. The players were indeed very dedicated to him and the staff was almost obsessed with finding a win in the ACC schedule.

There’s no doubt he was the wrong selection from the very beginning. And the “best Stallings had to give” was simply not ever going to get it done here. But from what I’ve heard, he didn’t “mail it in” as many have suggested.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

I hate to be oppositional here, but from a recent conversation I had with someone very close to the team, saying that Stallings didn’t care is far what was actually happening. The players were indeed very dedicated to him and the staff was almost obsessed with finding a win in the ACC schedule.

There’s no doubt he was the wrong selection from the very beginning. And the “best Stallings had to give” was simply not ever going to get it done here. But from what I’ve heard, he didn’t “mail it in” as many have suggested.

Better watch out or Mr OC also known as Joe TPF is going to label you as a Stallings fan !
Any objective person could see when every player wanted their release and his best players left that the coaches had the support of the players .
It would be interesting to hear the players contrast the two coaching staffs .

 

[VincePITT]

Iowa's big's are going to be a problem for Pitt. Luka Garza 6'11" 240 lbs and Tyler Cook 6'9" 250 lbs! Both are averaging over 16 pts and 5+ rebs!

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

** Inspiration for these evening’s thoughts come from none other than two “distinguished” posters – those being @Sean Miller Fan and @PittPoker.

** I’ll start with the quotes that drive these thoughts --

** At some point yesterday, the incomparable @Sean Miller Fan suggested a redshirt for Jared Wilson-Frame because “I know fans are excited now and I am too but the ACC is impossible.”

** Earlier this evening, my sometimes violate friend @PittPoker offered this: “We will beat Iowa. Trust me.”

** While personally, I consider myself more of a positive kind of fan, I know I’m always restrained by my perception of the reality of situation facing our Panthers.

** At times, my perception of the reality of the situation has allowed me to truly enjoy a season from the very beginning, such as the 2008-2009 Campaign, which was just about as wonderful as we all believed it would be from the start. Much the same can be said of the 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 Campaigns.

** But there have been other seasons which turned out to be so much more remarkable than almost anyone could foresee. For those seasons, I’ve always regretted not being one of few who jumped on the bandwagon at the start.

** During the breakout 2001-2002 season, almost as the Big East season started, Poster Laureate @17-15 made it his mantra that the team would go “22-7 … at least.” Most of the rest of us got on board sometime in February.

** Going into the 2009-2010 season, I proclaimed with an early season injury to Jermaine Dixon, that the NCAA Tournament was out of reach for the Panthers. A tough loss to a bad Indiana team, along with some other suspect early performances seemed to validate this thought.

** There may have been only one poster, the long gone @simmerdunna, who foresaw the nearly unbelievable start of that season which included wins on the road against Cincinnati, then Syracuse, then UConn.

** I always wished I could have been one to have “called” these seasons from the beginning.

** As we entered last season, I suggested to many that we may not win an ACC game. I didn’t want to be right about this. And I don’t know what virtue it offered during the course of the season that the prognostication turned truthful.

** I entered this season suggesting two, or perhaps three, ACC wins.

** Many felt the same way. None of us were trying to be a downer. We were trying to make an honest assessment knowing the Panthers were historically bad last year. For a team who went 0-18 last year, without even making much of a challenge for one win, 2 to 3 wins seemed more than fair.

** Oh yeah … that 0-18 team lost three of their top four scorers.

** So now we are a few weeks into this season, and I’m wondering if it’s time to “realistically” reassess.

** My friend @Bethlehemjohn has been saying from game one that we've been underestimating this team.

** And what if @PittPoker is right? What if we actually do beat Iowa?

** I’m so torn. Part of me is stuck in reality that we just defeated a fair, but perhaps not all that great St. Louis team by a grand total of 2 points. That’s fun, but should it change reasonable expectations?

** I also believe that we still appear to be so woefully undermanned at the post position.

** Then I’m reminded that that the same thing could have likely been said about the Panthers in December of 2009, until it became clear that Gary McGhee was more of a force than anyone thought he would be.

** Allow me to suggest that the prognostication of “22-7 at least” only became a reality with the clarity of Brandin Knight as an All-American.

** The 3-seed of the 2009-2010 campaign was made possible when we realized for certain the extraordinary improvement of the combination of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wannamaker. And it wasn’t until games at Storrs and in the Dome, followed by an improbable win at the Pete against L-ville that we knew that improvement was for real.

** Allow me step back for a moment to make clear that I’m not suggesting for a moment that I think that this team is headed for an NCAA tournament three-seed like the two aforementioned teams.

** But I hope others will join me in reveling in the excitement of possibility of much more, than many (including me) could have previously thought possible one month ago.

** What if Xavier Johnson is truly as good as we think he might be?

** What if Trey and Malik and Toney and JWF are formidable on the perimeter?

** Especially Trey. This guy could be really good in time, but he’s struggling a bit as one might expect from a freshman. What if he starts putting it together with consistency in January?

** What if Kene and Terrel are just good enough in the post?

** At least at this point, none of these three “what if’s” seem impossible.

** Could all of this really mean something like 11-2 in the OCC season, and 6-12 in the ACC, leading to an almost certain NIT season?

** Or what if we really do beat Iowa as Pitt Poker asked that we trust? What does that mean? Could this really mean a reinstatement of @UPitt89 ‘s bubble watch?

** I have to confess that I feel pretty confident that with Coach Capel’s dribble drive penetration and get-to-the-foul-line offense, getting blown out at Iowa is not something I expect. I think we can at least play somewhere in Iowa’s neighborhood. Maybe more than that.

** Perhaps I’ve gotten too far ahead of myself. Maybe Sean Miller Fan is right. Maybe we get blown out next Tuesday in Iowa City and our realistic ACC future for this campaign is closer to most earlier expectations.

** I guess it’s up to every fan to make their own choice where they stand between Pitt Poker and Sean Miller Fan.

** As for this fan, I’m just thrilled the debate exists.

Good post, DT. What I do know is that we are much better than I thought possible a month ago. Plus, this team plays hard and is fun to watch. For now, this is good enough. I also know this team, led by Coach Capel is going in the right direction and it won't be too long till we make the NCAA tourney again.

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

DT I've been a regular(mostly glass half empty) kind of poster. But things have changed. I am making a concerted effort to believe and notice improvement, however small it might be. But this Pitt basketball team under Capel seems different to me. Seems special not because I think they can make a final four this year and compete to win it all. No they are special to me because I see what good coaching can do and thus far it is night and day compared to any point in the 2 Stallings years.

I see a team that doesn't quit, that believes in itself and plays hard. I see a team that has a potential superstar in the making in Xavier Johnson and some talented freshmen and role players. I see a Coach who gets the most out of his players and a will to win.

Bottom line, sure we might lose to Iowa. But I am supremely confident that we put up a damn good fight. And the new me, the glass half full poster in me thinks that Pitt will pull off the upset. I feel it.

I made DT's dribbles. Everything else is gravy at this point.

I like this "new" Pitt Poker!

 

[pitt-girl]

In the spirit of the season, I'm just thankful we have threads like this....again.

Hail to Pitt.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

I like this "new" Pitt Poker!

Just wait

 

[NTOP]

Honestly, Dixon/Howland made consistent winning look so easy that it is going to skew all expectations going forward. It is why people actually thought things couldn’t get any worse than dixon’s last 5 years here.

I’m not being negative, I’m just saying people need to pump the breaks. I would be thrilled with 4-14 in the ACC still, and something like a .500 overall record. I just have seen this fanbase too many times set up extremely unreasonable expectations then just totally trash coaches that don’t meet those expectations.

In the long run, if Capel gets us back to where we were the last 5 years under Dixon I’d be thrilled. Anything else is gravy.

I'll take all the "breaks" I can get......don't pump them at all.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Better watch out or Mr OC also known as Joe TPF is going to label you as a Stallings fan !

Well we know that you and the truth are strangers to each other, but this is just another example of it. I have said on numerous occasions that the idea that Stallings just mailed it in and didn't care if we won or lost was nuts. He desperately wanted to win. He just wasn't good enough to get it done.

The fact that he was doing everything he could to get a win and he still couldn't manage to get it done is actually a bigger indictment of the quality of coach that he is, rather than if he just didn't give a crap and was mailing it in. Not that you'd recognize that when talking about the coach you backed right up until almost the bitter end.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Well we know that you and the truth are strangers to each other, but this is just another example of it. I have said on numerous occasions that the idea that Stallings just mailed it in and didn't care if we won or lost was nuts. He desperately wanted to win. He just wasn't good enough to get it done.

The fact that he was doing everything he could to get a win and he still couldn't manage to get it done is actually a bigger indictment of the quality of coach that he is, rather than if he just didn't give a crap and was mailing it in. Not that you'd recognize that when talking about the coach you backed right up until almost the bitter end.

There you go again ...talking out your ass . You and Mr Knowitall what a pair . The fact that I don't think someone who i don't know personally whose a bad coach is necessarily a despicable person really makes me fool . I think it quite the opposite .

 

[Fredact]

It will be interesting to see how well the drive-to-the-basket-against-bigger-guys-and-get-fouled strategy works on the road. If the guards can finish, it's fine, but if they continue to rely on the refs always calling the fouls, that may not happen, particularly in a filled road arena.

 

[FreddieFunk]

Well we know that you and the truth are strangers to each other, but this is just another example of it. I have said on numerous occasions that the idea that Stallings just mailed it in and didn't care if we won or lost was nuts. He desperately wanted to win. He just wasn't good enough to get it done.

The fact that he was doing everything he could to get a win and he still couldn't manage to get it done is actually a bigger indictment of the quality of coach that he is, rather than if he just didn't give a crap and was mailing it in. Not that you'd recognize that when talking about the coach you backed right up until almost the bitter end.

Stuff Akok in your mouth please....

 

[Chescat]

It will be interesting to see how well the drive-to-the-basket-against-bigger-guys-and-get-fouled strategy works on the road. If the guards can finish, it's fine, but if they continue to rely on the refs always calling the fouls, that may not happen, particularly in a filled road arena.

Good point, but only IF Iowa is playing man D. I fully expect them to go
zone against us and force us to shoot from the outside. I've seen Iowa
twice and they're not particularly quick.
IMO They'll throw a zone up against us and force us to shoot from the
outside. They'll try and take the slashing into the lane away from us and
make us play a perimeter game.
They have an excellent PG, and absolutely huge BIGS. We're quick and
if we're hitting from outside that will help. Their interior will be a huge
mismatch inside.